ObjectiveTo investigate the characteristics and potential mechanisms of Luotong Xianrong Yin （LTXRY） in improving lung injury in rats with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis （IPF） by regulating glycolysis. MethodsForty specific pathogen-free （SPF） Sprague-Dawley （SD） rats were randomly divided into a sham-operated group （10 mL·kg^-1）， model group （10 mL·kg^-1）， LTXRY group （15.18 g·kg^-1）， and nintedanib group （0.1 g·kg^-1）， with 10 rats in each group. The IPF rat model was established by intratracheal instillation of bleomycin. After 28 days of gavage intervention， pulmonary function was assessed. Lung pathological changes were observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） and Masson staining. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to determine the levels of inflammatory factors， including tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， interleukin （IL）-1β， and IL-6， in lung tissue. Chemiluminescence assays were employed to detect lactate content and lactate dehydrogenase activity in lung tissue. Western blot was used to measure the protein expression of transforming growth factor-β₁ （TGF-β₁）， CollagenⅠ and CollagenⅢ to evaluate collagen deposition， as well as hexokinase 2 （HK2）， pyruvate kinase M2 （PKM2）， and 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2，6-bisphosphatase 3 （PFKFB3） to assess glycolysis levels. Network pharmacology was applied to analyze the potential targets and signaling pathways of LTXRY in IPF， and molecular docking was conducted to evaluate the binding energy between active components and potential targets. Western blot was further used to detect the expression of target- and pathway-related proteins. ResultsCompared with the sham-operated group， rats in the model group showed significantly increased main airway resistance （Rn） and respiratory system resistance （Rrs）， and significantly decreased respiratory system compliance （Crs）. Inflammatory infiltration and collagen deposition were observed in lung tissue， with significantly increased levels of TNF-α， IL-1β， and IL-6， as well as elevated protein expression of TGF-β₁， CollagenⅠ and CollagenⅢ. Lactate content， lactate dehydrogenase activity， and the protein expression of HK2， PKM2， and PFKFB3 in lung tissue were significantly increased. Network pharmacology analysis indicated that signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 （STAT3） was a key target of LTXRY in IPF， and hypoxia-inducible factor-1 （HIF-1） was a critical signaling pathway. The expression levels of phosphorylated STAT3 （p-STAT3） and HIF-1α in lung tissue were significantly higher than those in the sham-operated group. Compared with the model group， rats in the LTXRY group showed significantly decreased Rn and Rrs and significantly increased Crs. Lung inflammatory infiltration and collagen deposition were markedly alleviated， with significantly reduced levels of TNF-α， IL-1β， and IL-6， and decreased protein expression of TGF-β₁， CollagenⅠ and CollagenⅢ. Lactate content， lactate dehydrogenase activity， and the protein expression of HK2， PKM2， and PFKFB3 were significantly decreased， accompanied by markedly reduced expression of p-STAT3 and HIF-1α. ConclusionLTXRY alleviates lung tissue injury in IPF rats by regulating glycolysis mediated by the STAT3/HIF-1α signaling pathway.

ObjectiveTo observe the effects of Xiaoyaosan on glucagon-like peptide-1 （GLP-1）/GLP-1 receptor （GLP-1r） and protein kinase A （PKA）/cAMP response element binding protein （CREB）/brain-derived neurotrophic factor （BDNF） signaling pathways in the hippocampal CA1 region of rats under chronic restraint stress （CRS），and to explore the mechanism of this formula to alleviate anxiety and depression-like behaviors. Methods40 specific pathogen-free male Sprague-Dawley （SD） rats were randomly divided into normal，model，Xiaoyaosan，and fluoxetine groups，with 10 rats in each group. CRS was used to induce anxiety and depression-like behaviors. The rats in the Xiaoyaosan group were gavaged with aqueous solution of traditional Chinese medicine formula granules （7.36 g·kg^-1·d^-1），while those in the fluoxetine group were gavaged with aqueous solution of fluoxetine （2 mg·kg^-1·d^-1）. Body weight was measured on days 0，7，14，and 21 of the experiment. On days 0 and 22 of the experiment，the sucrose preference test （SPT），forced swimming test （FST），and open field test （OFT） were performed. The pathological morphology of the hippocampal CA1 region was observed by Nissl staining. The relative mRNA expression of post-synaptic density protein-95 （PSD95） and synapsin （SYP） was detected by reverse transcription quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Immunohistochemistry and Western blot were used to detect expression of proteins in the GLP-1/GLP-1r and PKA/CREB/BDNF pathways in the hippocampal CA1 region. ResultsAfter CRS modeling，compared with the normal group，the rats of the model group had anxiety and depression-like behavioral manifestations，neuronal damage in the hippocampal CA1 region，significantly downregulated expression of synaptic plasticity markers PSD95 and SYP genes （P<0.01），and inhibition of GLP-1/GLP-1r and PKA/CREB/BDNF signaling pathways （P<0.05，P<0.01）. Compared with the model group，the Xiaoyaosan group exhibited alleviated anxiety and depression-like behaviors，reduced neuronal damage in the hippocampal CA1 region， significantly increased expression of PSD95 and SYP genes （P<0.01），and the activation of the GLP-1/GLP-1r and PKA/CREB/BDNF signaling pathways （P<0.05，P<0.01）. ConclusionXiaoyaosan can alleviate anxiety and depression-like behaviors in CRS rats by improving synaptic plasticity in the hippocampal CA1 region. The mechanisms may be related to the activation of the GLP-1/GLP-1r pathway and its mediated PKA/CREB/BDNF signaling pathway by the formula.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the clinical efficacy and economic value of the Jiangsu Traditional Chinese Medicine （TCM） Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol for Dominant Diseases （abbreviated as the Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol） in adult patients with non-severe community-acquired pneumonia （CAP） based on real-world clinical data. MethodsA retrospective real-world cohort study was conducted using electronic medical records of adult patients hospitalized for non-severe CAP from September 1st， 2023 to December 31st， 2024 across 10 TCM hospitals in Jiangsu province. Patients were classified into an exposure group and a non-exposure group based on whether they received Chinese herbal medicine （CHM） according to the Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol. The non-exposure group received only conventional western medicine， while the exposure group additionally received differentiated CHM for at least five consecutive days. Outcomes were compared between two patient groups， including cough resolution rate， sputum resolution rate （assessed by volume， color， and consistency）， incidence of abnormal C-reactive protein （CRP）， incidence of abnormal white blood cell （WBC） count， and radiographic resolution rate of pulmonary infiltrates on chest imaging. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify factors influencing clinical efficacy. Subgroup analyses were conducted according to age， gender， smoking status， history of hypertension， and pneumonia severity score （CURB-65）， and the efficacy of treatment for cough and sputum was analyzed within each subgroup. Cost-effectiveness analysis was conducted using cough resolution rate as the outcome measure， evaluating the pharmacoeconomics of the two groups. ResultsA total of 1688 patients were included with 1293 in the exposure group and 395 in the non-exposure group. Compared to the non-exposure group， the exposure group demonstrated significantly higher resolution rates of cough， sputum volume， color， and consistency， as well as a significantly lower incidence of abnormal CRP （P＜0.05）. No statistically significant difference was observed between the groups in terms of abnormal WBC count and radiographic resolution rate of pulmonary infiltrates （P＞0.05）. Logistic regression analysis showed that the cough resolution rate in the exposure group was 1.83 times that of the non-exposure group， while the probabilities of resolution in sputum volume， color， and consistency were 1.37， 2.09， and 1.56 times those of the non-exposure group， respectively （P＜0.05）. Subgroup analyses showed that the exposure group achieved significantly higher cough resolution rates across most subgroups except for populations with a CURB-65 score ≥2 or those with a history of hypertension （P＜0.05）. Specifically， among females， patients aged ≥18 and ＜65 years， non-smokers， those without hypertension， and those with a CURB-65 score of 0， the exposure group showed a higher cough resolution rate than the non-exposure group （P＜0.05）. From an economic perspective， total hospitalization cost， length of stay， antibiotic cost， and CHM cost all differed significantly between groups （P＜0.05）. The cost-effectiveness ratio （CER） was 10,788.80 CNY/case in the exposure group， while 22,513.80 CNY/case in the non-exposure group. This implies that， compared with the exposure group， the non-exposure group incurred an additional 17,302.27 CNY to achieve one case of cough resolution. When the willingness-to-pay threshold ranged from 0 to 50,000 CNY， the probability of economic advantage was consistently higher in the exposure group than in the non-exposure group. ConclusionOn the basis of conventional western medicine， the addition of CHM in accordance with the Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol can effectively improve clinical symptoms， reduce inflammatory markers， promote clinical recovery， and is more cost-effective in treating adults with non-severe CAP.

ObjectiveTo observe the real‑world effectiveness and economic outcomes of Weishi Qingjin Formula （苇石清金方， WQF） in the treatment of adult community‑acquired pneumonia （CAP） with phlegm‑heat obstructing the lung syndrome. MethodsBased on a multicenter， real-world retrospective cohort study， clinical data were collected from hospitalized adult patients diagnosed with non‑severe CAP and phlegm‑heat obstructing the lung syndrome in 10 traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） hospitals in Jiangsu province. Patients were divided into an exposure group （those who received oral WQF） and a non‑exposure group （those who did not）. The following outcomes were compared between the two groups before and after treatment， which were remission rates of clinical symptoms including cough， expectoration （sputum volume， color， consistency）， and chest pain， levels of inflammatory markers including C‑reactive protein （CRP） and white blood cell count （WBC）， and the rate of pulmonary inflammatory absorption on chest CT. Subgroup analyses were performed based on age， gender， smoking status， presence of hypertension， and the severity of community-acquired pneumonia （CURB‑65） score， comparing the two groups in terms of cough remission rate， chest pain remission rate， and chest CT absorption rate. For health economic evaluation， cost‑effectiveness analysis was used to calculate the cost‑effectiveness ratio （CER） and incremental cost‑effectiveness ratio （ICER）. Univariate sensitivity analysis and probabilistic sensitivity analysis were performed to test the robustness of the results. ResultsA total of 647 patients in the exposure group and 1491 patients in the non-exposure group were included in the final statistical analysis. There was no statistically significant difference in length of hospital stay， gender， marital status， smoking history， bronchoscopy history， and comorbidities between the groups （P＞0.05）， but age， CURB-65 score， and antibiotic use. The exposure group had significantly higher remission rates of cough and sputum consistency than the non-exposure group （P＜0.05）. After adjusting for confounders using propensity score matching and logistic regression， the cough remission rate in the exposure group was 1.49 times that of the non-exposure group （P＜0.01）. No significant difference was observed between groups in the reduction rates of CRP and WBC， and in the rate of pulmonary inflammatory absorption on chest CT （P＞0.05）. Subgroup analyses revealed that the cough remission rate in the exposure group was significantly better than that in the non-exposure group except for patients aged ≥65 years， smokers， hypertensive patients， those using other type antibiotics or not using antibiotics， and those with a CURB-65 score ≥1 （P＜0.05）. Among smokers， the chest pain remission rate in the exposure group was 4.38 times that of the non-exposure group （P＜0.01）. No significant difference in chest CT absorption rate was found between groups across subgroups of gender， age， hypertension status， or antibiotic type （P＞0.05）. In terms of economic evaluation， CER was 10,877.60 CNY/case in the exposure group and 16,773.10 CNY/case in the non-exposure group. Compared to the exposure group， the non-exposure group incurred an additional 15,034.26 CNY to achieve one case of cough resolution， indicating a more favorable cost-effectiveness profile. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis yielded results consistent with the cost-effectiveness analysis， confirming the robustness of the findings. ConclusionWQF demonstrates significant efficacy in improving cough symptoms in the treatment of adult CAP with phlegm-heat obstructing the lung syndrome， and also exhibits favorable economic benefits.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the clinical efficacy and economic value of the Jiangsu Traditional Chinese Medicine （TCM） Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol for Dominant Diseases （abbreviated as the Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol） in adult patients with non-severe community-acquired pneumonia （CAP） based on real-world clinical data. MethodsA retrospective real-world cohort study was conducted using electronic medical records of adult patients hospitalized for non-severe CAP from September 1st， 2023 to December 31st， 2024 across 10 TCM hospitals in Jiangsu province. Patients were classified into an exposure group and a non-exposure group based on whether they received Chinese herbal medicine （CHM） according to the Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol. The non-exposure group received only conventional western medicine， while the exposure group additionally received differentiated CHM for at least five consecutive days. Outcomes were compared between two patient groups， including cough resolution rate， sputum resolution rate （assessed by volume， color， and consistency）， incidence of abnormal C-reactive protein （CRP）， incidence of abnormal white blood cell （WBC） count， and radiographic resolution rate of pulmonary infiltrates on chest imaging. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify factors influencing clinical efficacy. Subgroup analyses were conducted according to age， gender， smoking status， history of hypertension， and pneumonia severity score （CURB-65）， and the efficacy of treatment for cough and sputum was analyzed within each subgroup. Cost-effectiveness analysis was conducted using cough resolution rate as the outcome measure， evaluating the pharmacoeconomics of the two groups. ResultsA total of 1688 patients were included with 1293 in the exposure group and 395 in the non-exposure group. Compared to the non-exposure group， the exposure group demonstrated significantly higher resolution rates of cough， sputum volume， color， and consistency， as well as a significantly lower incidence of abnormal CRP （P＜0.05）. No statistically significant difference was observed between the groups in terms of abnormal WBC count and radiographic resolution rate of pulmonary infiltrates （P＞0.05）. Logistic regression analysis showed that the cough resolution rate in the exposure group was 1.83 times that of the non-exposure group， while the probabilities of resolution in sputum volume， color， and consistency were 1.37， 2.09， and 1.56 times those of the non-exposure group， respectively （P＜0.05）. Subgroup analyses showed that the exposure group achieved significantly higher cough resolution rates across most subgroups except for populations with a CURB-65 score ≥2 or those with a history of hypertension （P＜0.05）. Specifically， among females， patients aged ≥18 and ＜65 years， non-smokers， those without hypertension， and those with a CURB-65 score of 0， the exposure group showed a higher cough resolution rate than the non-exposure group （P＜0.05）. From an economic perspective， total hospitalization cost， length of stay， antibiotic cost， and CHM cost all differed significantly between groups （P＜0.05）. The cost-effectiveness ratio （CER） was 10,788.80 CNY/case in the exposure group， while 22,513.80 CNY/case in the non-exposure group. This implies that， compared with the exposure group， the non-exposure group incurred an additional 17,302.27 CNY to achieve one case of cough resolution. When the willingness-to-pay threshold ranged from 0 to 50,000 CNY， the probability of economic advantage was consistently higher in the exposure group than in the non-exposure group. ConclusionOn the basis of conventional western medicine， the addition of CHM in accordance with the Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol can effectively improve clinical symptoms， reduce inflammatory markers， promote clinical recovery， and is more cost-effective in treating adults with non-severe CAP.

ObjectiveTo observe the real‑world effectiveness and economic outcomes of Weishi Qingjin Formula （苇石清金方， WQF） in the treatment of adult community‑acquired pneumonia （CAP） with phlegm‑heat obstructing the lung syndrome. MethodsBased on a multicenter， real-world retrospective cohort study， clinical data were collected from hospitalized adult patients diagnosed with non‑severe CAP and phlegm‑heat obstructing the lung syndrome in 10 traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） hospitals in Jiangsu province. Patients were divided into an exposure group （those who received oral WQF） and a non‑exposure group （those who did not）. The following outcomes were compared between the two groups before and after treatment， which were remission rates of clinical symptoms including cough， expectoration （sputum volume， color， consistency）， and chest pain， levels of inflammatory markers including C‑reactive protein （CRP） and white blood cell count （WBC）， and the rate of pulmonary inflammatory absorption on chest CT. Subgroup analyses were performed based on age， gender， smoking status， presence of hypertension， and the severity of community-acquired pneumonia （CURB‑65） score， comparing the two groups in terms of cough remission rate， chest pain remission rate， and chest CT absorption rate. For health economic evaluation， cost‑effectiveness analysis was used to calculate the cost‑effectiveness ratio （CER） and incremental cost‑effectiveness ratio （ICER）. Univariate sensitivity analysis and probabilistic sensitivity analysis were performed to test the robustness of the results. ResultsA total of 647 patients in the exposure group and 1491 patients in the non-exposure group were included in the final statistical analysis. There was no statistically significant difference in length of hospital stay， gender， marital status， smoking history， bronchoscopy history， and comorbidities between the groups （P＞0.05）， but age， CURB-65 score， and antibiotic use. The exposure group had significantly higher remission rates of cough and sputum consistency than the non-exposure group （P＜0.05）. After adjusting for confounders using propensity score matching and logistic regression， the cough remission rate in the exposure group was 1.49 times that of the non-exposure group （P＜0.01）. No significant difference was observed between groups in the reduction rates of CRP and WBC， and in the rate of pulmonary inflammatory absorption on chest CT （P＞0.05）. Subgroup analyses revealed that the cough remission rate in the exposure group was significantly better than that in the non-exposure group except for patients aged ≥65 years， smokers， hypertensive patients， those using other type antibiotics or not using antibiotics， and those with a CURB-65 score ≥1 （P＜0.05）. Among smokers， the chest pain remission rate in the exposure group was 4.38 times that of the non-exposure group （P＜0.01）. No significant difference in chest CT absorption rate was found between groups across subgroups of gender， age， hypertension status， or antibiotic type （P＞0.05）. In terms of economic evaluation， CER was 10,877.60 CNY/case in the exposure group and 16,773.10 CNY/case in the non-exposure group. Compared to the exposure group， the non-exposure group incurred an additional 15,034.26 CNY to achieve one case of cough resolution， indicating a more favorable cost-effectiveness profile. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis yielded results consistent with the cost-effectiveness analysis， confirming the robustness of the findings. ConclusionWQF demonstrates significant efficacy in improving cough symptoms in the treatment of adult CAP with phlegm-heat obstructing the lung syndrome， and also exhibits favorable economic benefits.

Objective To explore the relationship between intestinal flora imbalance and pulmonary function in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and to analyze the related influencing factors. Methods A total of 310 patients with COPD who were admitted to Air Force Military Medical University Tangdu Hospital from June 2022 to December 2024 were retrospectively analyzed. Based on intestinal flora status, the enrolled patients were classified into imbalance group (n=83) and non-imbalance group (n=227). Logistic regression analysis was conducted to analyze the independent related factors of intestinal flora imbalance in COPD patients. Based on the above factors, a prediction model was constructed, and ROC curve analysis model was applied to analyze the predictive value of the model on intestinal flora imbalance. Results Logistic regression analysis revealed that age, IL-6, albumin, pulmonary function, long-term bed rest and long-term use of antibiotics were related to intestinal flora imbalance in COPD patients (all P<0.05). ROC results of the Logistic prediction model showed that the area under the curve, sensitivity, specificity and 95%CI were 0.961, 0.880, 0.996 and 0.932-0.989 respectively. Conclusion The intestinal flora imbalance in patients with COPD is closely related to lung function, age, inflammatory status, nutritional indicators, activity ability and antibiotic use.

Ulcerative colitis （UC） is a chronic， non-specific intestinal inflammatory disease. Its pathogenesis is complex， involving interactions among genetic， immune， and environmental factors， and remains incompletely elucidated. Mitochondrial damage can trigger the abnormal release of mitochondrial damage-associated molecular patterns （mtDAMPs）， activating inflammatory pathways and thereby exacerbating the inflammatory response in UC. Mitophagy， a core mitochondrial quality control mechanism， can clear damaged mitochondria and effectively reduce the abnormal release of mtDAMPs and the accumulation of harmful substances， thereby mitigating inflammatory damage resulting from mitochondrial dysfunction. Mitophagy plays a crucial role in maintaining the integrity of the intestinal epithelial barrier function and in the prevention and intervention of UC. Notably， the function of the spleen governing transportation and transformation in traditional Chinese medicine shares similarities with the role of mitochondria in energy transformation and substance metabolism. Furthermore， the pathological state of the spleen failing in transportation and transformation may be related to mitochondrial dysfunction， while the pathogenic characteristics of "endogenous turbid pathogen" align with the inflammatory cascade responses triggered by abnormal release of mtDAMPs. Based on this theoretical correlation， this paper aims to explore the correlation between the traditional Chinese medicine theory of "spleen dysfunction in essence distribution leading to endogenous turbid pathogens" and mitophagy. Using the correlation as an entry point， the potential role of mitophagy in the pathogenesis of UC was elucidated. Additionally， by considering the epidemiological characteristics of UC in the Southwest region of China， a new thinking for the treatment of UC from the perspective of turbid pathogens was proposed based on the "fortifying the spleen and resolving turbidity" method to provide theoretical support and research enlightenment for further exploring the prevention and treatment of UC with traditional Chinese medicine.

Objective: To systematically analyze the stability and decay kinetics of coagulation factors in thawed cryoprecipitate stored at different temperatures under the new storage guidelines, and to provide an evidence basis for optimizing storage strategies. Methods: A total of 30 bags of 2U cryoprecipitate prepared at our blood center from January to June 2025 were selected. After thawing in a 37℃ water bath and thorough mixing, each bag was equally divided into two portions and stored at room temperature (20-24℃) or under refrigerated temperature (2~6℃), respectively. Dynamic sampling was performed at 0, 4, 6, 24, 30, and 120 h after thawing to measure fibrinogen (FIB) content, coagulation factor Ⅷ(FⅧ) activity, and von Willebrand factor (vWF) activity. Two-way repeated measures ANOVA was used to evaluate the effects of storage temperature, time, and their interaction. A one-phase exponential decay model was applied to fit the decay kinetics of FⅧ activity and vWF activity. Results: After thawing, FⅧ activity and vWF activity in cryoprecipitate showed a decreasing trend with prolonged storage time, and a time×temperature interaction was observed for both factors (all P< 0.001). The decay rates of FⅧ activity and vWF activity were lower under room temperature storage than under refrigerated storage, with statistically significant differences between the two groups starting from 24 h. Kinetic fitting revealed that the half-life of FⅧ activity in the room temperature group (19.83 h) was 3.4 times longer than that in the refrigerated group (5.85 h); the half-life of vWF activity in the room temperature group (204.6 h) was 5.9 times longer than that in the refrigerated group (34.6 h). FIB content remained stable throughout the observation period under both storage temperatures, with no statistically significant differences. Conclusion: Storage of thawed cryoprecipitate at room temperature effectively delays the loss of FⅧ activity and vWF activity and reduces cryoprecipitate formation induced by low temperature, providing experimental evidence for optimizing transfusion strategies based on the decay kinetics of different coagulation factors and improving the utilization efficiency of cryoprecipitate resources.

Objective To analyze the clinical efficacy of intelligent wireless endoscopy in transurethral resection of the prostate, so as to provide evidence for clinical application. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 70 patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) who underwent transurethral resection of the prostate at Tongling People's Hospital during Jan. 2023 and Dec. 2024. Based on the type of endoscopes used, patients were divided into a wireless endoscopy group and a traditional endoscopy group, with 35 patients in either group. Differences between the two groups were compared in terms of surgical preparation time, operation time, postoperative hospital stay, catheter indwelling time, intraoperative blood loss, surgical complications, and operating comfort during the procedure. Results All 70 operations were successfully completed without severe urinary incontinence. The wireless laparoscopy group demonstrated significantly shorter surgical preparation time compared to the traditional laparoscopy group [(12.14±2.39)min vs. (14.89±0.80)min, P＜0.001].There was no statistically significant difference in the operation time between the two groups [(93.51±34.49)min vs. (101.71±34.87)min, P=0.326]. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in postoperative hospital stay, catheter indwelling time, intraoperative blood loss, and surgical complications (P＞0.05). The wireless endoscopy group demonstrated significantly higher operating comfort compared to the traditional endoscopy group [(3.94±0.77) vs. (2.57±0.61), P＜0.001]. Conclusion The use of intelligent wireless endoscopy for transurethral resection of the prostate is comparable to traditional endoscopy in surgical efficacy and patient safety, but it can shorten preoperative preparation time and improve operator comfort.